Detection criterion for axolotl olfaction

Determine whether axolotl olfactory detection is governed primarily by a threshold on instantaneous odorant flux reaching the epithelium or by a threshold on accumulated odorant dose.

Background

The paper analyzes two possible detection criteria for an ephemeral odor source: a cumulative threshold based on the total number of odorant molecules adsorbed and an instantaneous threshold based on the rate at which odorant reaches the epithelium.

The authors note that the appropriate criterion depends on how olfactory receptors integrate their input. Their estimates of detection-time speedup under increased concentration and ciliary pumping therefore depend on a biological feature that has not been established for axolotls.